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Armenia and the Pontus 







!ci *-^ 9 



At the end of the review came the warriors of brave 
Eger: a race living on the southern ranges of the mighty 
Caucasus, upon the east coast of the great Ascanazian Sea, 
where are bred women of unrivalled beauty under the sun. 
And those of ashen complexion, living inland around Arda- 
han, who drink of the springs of Kur, and of Jorcch of heavy 
currents. With them come the hosts of Chaldia, of Sper and 
Ajar, and the native bands of Shatcomk, Barkhar and Kola. 
And hill-men from inaccessible Daik, arrayed in Chaldian 
Silver, gleaming and sparkling with the gold and silver of 
Sper. For their helmets are of gold, their mail and arms of 
silver ; the tips and fringes adorned with ribbons of gold and 
silver. Their shields, too, of gold, like suns from the earth 
upward shining. Of iron are only the swords which hang by 
their sides, of iron from the mines of Barkhar, now made 
into shining steel. The copper points like sharp tongues of 
flame, sent forth their glitters like the glowing rays of a sun. 

from Haig the Hero, 

IX. 333-349 



•A7S5 



Armenia and the Pontus 



By D. E. Siramarc 



The State of Armenia that is to be created by the Peace 
Conference will naturally include within its confines the dis- 
trict of Trebizond — the Black Sea littoral of Armenia. There 
is to be found in this region a considerable Greek population. 
Mr. Venizelos, in the memorandum on the territorial claims 
of Greece, which he submitted to the Peace Conference, 
advocated that said district be included in the proposed 
State of Armenia. A Greek-Armenian commission which 
held its sessions in Paris has already agreed upon a plan 
which will insure the Greeks of Trebizond full cultural 
autonomy. We rejoice that Armenian and Greek leaders 
have thus laid the foundation of an Armeno-Greek rap- 
prochement, which should develop into a close and enduring 
friendship between the two kindred race-. 



This paper has two purposes : (a ) To examine and deter- 
mine the geographical, ethnographical, historical and eco- 
nomic status of Pontus and (b) to show that Pontus is an 
integral part of Armenia. 

The name Pontus. which in Greek means sea, was first 
used to indicate the Black Sea; later it was applied to the 
seacoast of that sea, especially from Sinope to Batum. This 
name, however, has no meaning of race ownership of a given 
territory: it is only an appellation similar to that of Pacific 
Coast, and outside of Greek literature is seldom used. Pontus 
taken in its restricted area, extends about 300 miles from 
east to west, and an average of 40 miles to the south, where 
the entire range of the Barkhar mountains forms the bound- 
ary line. Thus, it approximately coincides with the Turkish 
province of Trebizond. 

5 



Although Pontus is really a coastland, yet it often is 
made to include not only the coastline from Batum to Con- 
stantinople, but is often meant to enclose all that tract of 
land which in a gulf-like shape is encircled by the right bank 
of the river Halys. This last is the ancient Cappadocia, or 
the Second Armenia of the Armenians. The name Pontus 
adhered to it from the day of Mithridates, who ruled Second 
Armenia also, and politically gave it the new name. His 
empire, however, soon fell, and Pontus was pushed back 
into its original legitimate boundaries, between the Barkhars 
and the sea. Modern Greeks, especially the claimants of 
Pontus for Greece, use the name to include beside the real 
Pontus, all Second Armenia and the entire coastline to the 
Bosphorus. The true Greek definition, however, does not go 
inland at all; it only takes the coast. 

Pontus, being actually part and continuation of the 
Armenian table-land, it has all the climatic and geological 
characteristics of that land. The land is very hilly, so much 
so that only a few roads cross it, and the most prosperous 
towns are on the seacoast. The mountains lift up their heads 
in very sharp inclines, and at a short distance from the sea, a 
first altitude of 2,000 feet is reached, as a stepping stone to 
the higher territory inland. Eastern Pontus has little agri- 
culture, although the western part has broad fields; fruit is 
probably the chief agricultural specialty. 

Geographically, Pontus can be classified under one of 
two designations. It may be considered a distinct country, 
if we would take the eastern half of it, from Tiropolis to 
Batum : for this section is enclosed on one side by the sea and 
on the other by the arching Barkhar. Such a classification, 
however, has never been tried, because the same races of old 
which overran Armenia also settled in this section, and thus 
force us to classify it as an integral part of the Armenian 
table-land, which would be the only natural and sensible 
classification. Not only the Armenians look at it in this 
light, but also all foreign nations, both ancient and modern, 
have conceded Armenia's right to this district; because for 
ethnological and economic reasons, no other view can be 
taken on the subject. 

From historic times, the Armenians have considered 

6 



Pontus as an Armenian province, named Chaldia, and they 
have always referred to it under this second name. This 
geographical designation is very old; much older than the 
possible claims other nations may put forth. From the list 
of Armenian provinces two, Chaldia* and Second Armenia, 
are the ones which actually coincide with the foreigner's 
Pontus of Mithridates, not including the northern extent, 
from Batum to the Danube. Now, not only have we the 
names of Armenia's provinces handed down to us, but also 
the names of the district of the provinces. Of these we give 
here the list of Chaldia's and Second Armenia's districts, 
showing their location on the map by numbers : 

Chaldia Second Armenia 

Hamamashen 1 Capira 10 

Rizus 2 Nicopolis . 11 

Athenae 3 Satalla 12 

Ardashen 4 Eudocia 13 

Opius 5 Sebastopolis 14 

Susurmenia 6 Amassia 15 

Ardasia 7 Comana 1 6 

Colanz 8 Zela 17 

Zankha 9 Teprika 18 

Agn 19 

Dascousia 20 

Singa 21 

Of these names a few are Greek in form, although only 
in form. About four of them are truly Greek words ; but even 
these have seldom been mentioned in old Greek authors. 
Chaldia and Second Armenia, as will be seen from the map, 
stretch from the Black sea far into the heart of Asia Minor, 
where the Taurus Mountains form the dividing line. They 
enclose one-third of Armenia's area, and often native Greeks 
demand these two provinces, to be formed into Greek Pon- 
tian State. This same territory, including the northwestern 
corner of Asia Minor, as far as the Bosphorus, once formed 
the Roman province of Pontus. 

In no other nation's history have these two provinces 
been mentionedas parts of that nation's land, except Arme- 

*The reader must bear in mind the different orthography of the two 
similar names : Chaldaea and Chaldia. The first refers to the ancient 
empire of southern Mesopotamia, while the second is the Armenian name 
of an Armenian province, coinciding with Pontus in its restricted sense. 
This difference in orthography is strictly adhered to in this paper. 

7 



nian history, which mentions them as a matter of fact. These 
provinces, being on the boundaries of Armenia, naturally 
were the first to be attacked by an enemy, such as Rome and 
Byzantium ; hence these two empires have left traces of their 
civilization and arms in these sections. Underneath, how- 
ever, there always existed a substratum of native elements, 
which was sometimes lost into the newcomers' fold, but more 
often absorbed them thoroughly. This is shown in the per- 
manent majority in population the Armenians have always 
held in this territory, in spite of all pressure and repeated 
massacres by the Turks, Tartars and Arabs. These massa- 
cres, moreover, have been of a regular and periodic nature 
from the days of the first Mohammedan ascendancy. This 
is another proof of the statement that "an indigenous stock 
is practically ineradicable." 

^ -i ; H< 

Something is known of Armenia historically as far back 
as the 20th century B. C. At those times, the state of Nairi 
was flourishing in the very heart of Armenia. Westward, 
the entire length of Asia Minor and as far as the Red Sea in 
the south lived the Hittites (Cheta). The Hittite country 
included the so-called Pontus, although it was not a separate 
state, nor carried this name. The Nairi people were probably 
of one blood with the older inhabitants of Lower Mesopo- 
tamia, the Chaldaeans, because names derived from the word 
Chaldaea are met in all parts of Armenia. Thus we find a 
Chaldaea between the Western Euphrates and the Black 
Sea, which has given us the Armenian Chaldia (province). 
From the same name we have the Greek Colchis, while the 
old Assyrian form of Cilicia, Khilaki, shows the same origin. 
We also find a district Chaldiran**, south of Kars, and 
another of the same name further north, around the Lake 
Glial dir. South of Harpert a town Colchis is mentioned in 
ancient times, while further south was the Ghaldaean empire. 
The national god of those ancient peoples at that time was 
Chaldis, and as nations have often named themselves after 
their deities, so also, we can assert that all these peoples 
living in nearer Asia were closely related, and were branches 
of the same mother stock. The Chaldaeans of Lower Meso- 

**The Ch in all these names is pronounced as a hard gutteral. 

8 



potamia probably branched out from the Chaldaeans of 
Northern Armenia, who have given to them a new physical 
type, the Armenoid, and a new name. The Armenian tribe 
has been traced as far back as Thessaly, in Europe, whence 
they emigrated not later than the 10th Century B. C. In 
Thessaly and Macedonia, they have left, their traces in names, 
such as the ancient city of Armenium. It is not known 
clearly how they crossed into Asia Minor. 

The first sign of their settling down is found in the 
Armenian province called First Armenia. Here they cut into 
two the Hittite country Cilicia (see map). From here they 
migrated north and east, establishing Second and Third 
Armenia. But their onrush into modern Cilicia was reduced 
by the barrier of the Taurus range, and while they went 
there also, yet their entrance was gradual and they did not 
obliterate the name of Cilicia. 

These Armenians rushed through all of Asia Minor until 
they approached the Caesarean district. There are two 
names which might indicate their course of travel. One is 
the mountain Orminius in northwestern Asia Minor, now 
known as Oren or Ischik Mountain. The original name shows 
a similarity to the word Armenian. The other name is of the 
little town Ak-Liman (White Haven), originally known as 
Armene — now Armenon in Greek means a sail, and has its 
verb also armenize. Whether the word is derived from the 
name Armenian, we cannot say. The originator of the name 
Armenia is Armenus of Thessalian birth, and whether he 
sailed with white sails into this harbor and gave his name to 
the town, and whether Greeks took his name to mean a sail, 
we cannot definitely say. The Greek word armenon must be 
a non-Greek word, as it is used very rarely. Both the moun- 
tain and the town mentioned are in Ascania, of the Ascana- 
zians, the traditional forefathers of the modern Armenians. 

It is definitely known that the Armenian tribe came 
from Europe, and were probably cousins of the old Hellenes, 
for Greeks point to Thessaly and its Olympud as the cradle 
of their race and ancient religion. By valor and virtue the 
Armenian tribe assimilated the Nairians, the Araratians 
(Alaoridi), the Chaldians of the north, the Hittites, etc., until 
they gave them a new name, Armenians; while few, mostly 
in inaccessible corners kept their distinct type for a longer 

9 



period, such as the Armeno-Chalybes (Chaldians west of 
Trebizonde) on the Iris, the Lazes (or Armeno-Lazes) on the 
Barkhar slopes, the Carduchi (now called Kurdes) on the 
Tigris, etc. Of these a small number of the Lazes and a con- 
siderable number of Carduchi remain yet. 

At the present time the ancient mother-stock of the 
Chaldaeans is extinct; some of their descendents today are 
the Armenians, the Nestorian Chaldaeans, and the Khildani 
of Lower Mesopotamia. Other branches, such as the 
Chalybes, Mocynoeci and Colchi, of the Pontus have since 
long vanished into the main body of the modern Armenians. 
Their homeland was for many years known as Chaldaea, 
while the eastern half is even now known as the Armenian 
province of Chaldia. In Roman times all of this land was 
known as the province of Chaldia, and there is, even today, a 
diocese of Chaldia maintained by the Greek Orthodox Church 
in the district of Ardashen (Map No. 4). 

What does all this mean? That the modern Armenians 
are a composite of the old Chaldaeans, the Araratians, and 
the European Armenians. This new nation, as a united race, 
spreads from the Cilician seacoast to the Caspian Sea, and 
from the mouths of the Halys to the neighborhood of Resht, 
all those other tribes as the Lazes, and the Kurdes are only 
branches of this mother nation. The strongest proof of this 
statement is that the physiognomy of these tribes is identical 
with the Armenian and that their customs are so similar to 
the Armenian and so unlike the Moslem. In spite of the 
claims of the vandal Turks, that these tribes are of Turkish 
extraction, we know that they are originally Armenians, 
kept apart only by political pressure and lack of commu- 
nications- 
Returning to Chaldia (Pontus-Lazistan) and Second 
Armenia (Pontus-Sivas), we have the following statistics of 
their population. 

Chaldia (all of Trebizond Province) 

Armenians 180,000 

Greeks 200,000 

Other Christians 1,000 

381,000 

Turks and all Moslems 301,000 301,000 

682,000 
10 



Second Armenia I all of Sivas Province i 

Armenian? 165.000 

Greeks 30.000 

Other Christians 25.000 

220.000 

Turks 192.000 

All other Moslems 95.000 287,000 

517.000 

Total Christians and Moslems in each Province 601.000 588.000 

( Christians i ( Moslems) 
Total population of both Provinces 1.189,000 

We can very easily see that, had the Armenians enjoyed 
peace and security under the Moslem rule during the last five 
centuries, they would have been in full majority over all 
other races in the two provinces: we can see the justice of 
their claims, and the tenacity with which they have stood by 
their fatherland. 

* * * 

It must be borne in mind that, being situated at the 
confluence of immigrant nations between Asia and Europe, 
Armenia has had much difficulty to keep its territory intact 
and independent continuously for long periods. It has often 
been divided between a number of native or foreign rulers. 
Therefore, while Armenians were divided in their involuntary 
allegiance, they have by that very situation been forced to 
concentrate the national ideal of all divisions around one and 
only dream. With the evil of a foreigner's rule they have 
received the impetus toward a stronger national bond as a 
necessary means of saving their racial identity. 

Naturally those provinces of Armenia which lie immedi- 
ately on the boundary lines, have been the very first to fall 
under the invader's yoke. Such has been the fortune of the 
provinces of Armenian Mesopotamia, Atropatene. Paida- 
garan. First Armenia. Second Armenia and Chaldia. Of 
these. Second Armenia and Chaldia interest us here, as they 
occupy the territory claimed by Greeks. 

As far back as the 20th Century B. C. the Hittites lived 
in all Asia Minor, including these two provinces. By the 10th 
Century they had vanished, leaving a branch of their descend- 
ants, the Phrygians, near the iEgean Sea. Soon the Median 

11 



Empire swept westward and reached to the banks of the 
Halys (Alysse) River, occupying the Pontian territory. This 
empire fell before Cyrus the Persian, under whose successors 
the Persian Empire extended from the Danube to India and 
from the Caucasus Mountains to the Red Sea and the Libyan 
desert in Africa. All Asia Minor fell under its sway more 
completely than under any other rule since. Then, Alexander 
the Great, took this empire over, but did not subdue the 
northern provinces of Armenia, that is Chaldia, Daik, Gou- 
cark, Otene, Arzah and Paidagaran. The provinces of Chal- 
dia, and Second Armenia had been two separate satrapies 
under the Persians. 

Alexander's empire soon broke up after his death, and 
following its division, all of Greater Armenia, Chaldia and 
part of Second Armenia became independent. Soon, how- 
ever, the Parthians threw off the tedious yoke of the Seleu- 
cidae and began to build a strong empire. Their influence 
spread into Armenia, where a new dynasty began to rule, 
related to the Parthian royal family: thus, these two coun- 
tries began to grow as independent states, and there took 
place much mingling of blood back and forth between the 
two nations. They became actually cousins. During this 
period Armenia also began to expand into an empire, under 
Dikran the Great, and with him does foreign history become 
initiated into the study of so-called Pontus. For the Arme- 
nians, however, Chaldia (Pontus) was nothing new, as we 
saw; in fact much traditional information existed concerning 
the territory of Chaldia. 

Here are a few : 

Based on Biblical record, the race of Ascanaz, which 
lived in western Asia Minor during the 12th Century B. C. 
together with their cousins the Phrygians, were a branch of 
the Hittites. Through the Ascanians, the Hittites were con- 
nected with the Armenians, who call themselves the " Asca- 
nazian Nation." Similarly the old Armenian name of the 
Black Sea was the Ascanazian Sea, for the land of Ascanaz 
reached to the coasts of that sea, although we cannot say 
how far east or west ; but the Ascanians did spread to Arme- 
nia. Still following tradition, where we may believe to be 
some actual truth, we find that the progenitor of the Arme- 

12 



nians, Haig', had seven younger brothers, who settled in 
modern Caucasus. Of these Carthus settled in modern 
Georgia***. Leek settled on the northeast of the Caucasus 
Mountains and established the Leskes' race, whose land is 
still called Leskistan or Daghestan. Bart settled near the 
mouth of Kur; Herr settled in modern Imerthi ; Caucas set- 
tled around Kutais ; while the youngest of all, Eger, occupied 
the lower ranges of the mountains which join to the Chal- 
dian ranges. He held all of modern Lazistan and also Egeria 
or Guria around Batum. 

His territory spread from the eastern coast of the Asca- 
nazian Sea, to the neighborhood of Kars, and includes Lazis- 
tan, Guria, Ajar, Kola, and the province of Chaldia. Among 
his descendants were named the most beautiful women of 
the world. This same reputation is owned now by the Lazes, 
who have supplied the main demand for beauties for the 
harems of Turkish ■ Sultans and grandees. The fact that 
both the Egerians and the Lazes of today live in the same 
territory and carry the same reputation of physical beauty, 
and the fact that the Lazes are often referred to as Arme- 
no-lazes, gives us the right to assert that both races are the 
same, and are first cousins with the Armenians.**** 

Returning to the first political appearance of Pontus as 
a strong State, we find that Dikran's grandfather Arshag 
(Arsaces), had to go to war against the inhabitants of Chal- 
dia because they had revolted against the Armenian govern- 
ment. He quelled the disturbance and erected a monument 
to commemorate his success ; and the Chaldians for a long 
time worshipped the monument as a god. Before half a cen- 
tury had passed, his grandson, Dikran the Great, came upon 
the stage of history. 

Dikran is the most cherished and the most typical king - 
in Armenian history, ruling almost half a century. During 
his reign Parthia was beginning to grow, while on the west 
Rome was spreading, after having absorbed all the Hellenic 
states and cities, and had reached to the heart of Asia 
Minor. To oppose these two growing opponents, Dikran 
became related to the Prince of the Chaldian Province, and 

*** Still known as Khartli or Carthli. 
****See Frontispiece. 

13 



they together proceeded east, south and southwest ; he took 
ancient Persia, almost to the shores of the Persian Gulf, and 
as far as Palestine, Syria, Cilicia and Cyprus. The Kingdom 
of Seleucidae came into his possession. His brother-in-law, 
Mithridates of Chaldia, occupied all northwestern Asia 
Minor, and all the seacoast of the Black Sea as far as the 
mouths of the Danube. He also went as far as Greece, now 
a Roman Province, but he was defeated north of Athens. 
Two other wars he waged against Rome, with the help of 
Dikran. At last, the Romans defeated him and expelled him 
to far-off Crimea and gave his throne to his son Parnak 
( Pharnaces). At first Parnak lived at peace with Rome, and 
prevented his father from organizing a new expedition 
against it. Rome's life-long enemy, Mithridates, now de- 
spaired, committed suicide. When, however, civil war broke 
out in Rome between Caesar and Pompey, Parnak took occa- 
sion to reoccupy Greater Pontus; but Caesar, who had gone 
to Egypt, hastened north and quickly defeated Parnak, and 
ended his reign. His report to Rome was: Vcn'i, Vidi, Vici. 

On the other hand, Dikran, who had prospered much 
and had continuously warred against Rome, now was weak- 
ened and finally sued for peace, and was allowed to keep part 
of his territory as an independent kingdom. Dikran and 
Mithridates were the first Asiatic rulers to oppose Rome 
in the East, thus giving opportunity to Parthia and later 
Persia to grow westward more easily. 

At these times, the royal house of Armenia was very 
closely related to the rulers of Parthia, and having a similar 
religion, Armenians and Parthians intermarried to a great 
extent, and so, Parthian blood in Armenia increased to an al- 
most equal proportion as the Hittite and old Armenian blood. 
The Chaldians had never been subdued by the old Persians 
and by Alexander, and kept up their local independence. 
Their princes were always called Mithridates, a Parthian 
name, which clearly shows that the Chaldians now were as 
much mixed with the Parthians as their Armenian cousins, 
and it was through Dikran's support that Mithridates built 
up his empire, a terror to Rome. These princes held their 
local rule from 520-47 B. C, when the principality ended 
permanently. 

14 



And now we find the Roman Empire extending its 
boundaries in the East to a line following from the Barkhar 
Mountains south with the course of the Euphrates. East 
of this line Armenia held an independent kingdom, tributary 
to Rome, while Armenian Mesopotamia was continually 
changing masters between Romans and Parthians or Per- 
sians. At the division of the Roman Empire into the West- 
ern and Eastern branches, the boundary wavered still on the 
same line, until the Arab ascendancy engulfing within itself 
Persia, Armenia and Syria in the 10th Century, A. D., its 
eastern division, the Eastern Caliphate pushed into the heart 
of Asia Minor, leaving free a fringe on the Black Sea and 
the Mediterranean. Cilicia was now reborn as an independ- 
ent Armenian State (1080), while the Byzantine Empire, as 
the eastern division of the Roman Empire still held under its 
rule the seacoast of Armenian Chaldia. Just previous to this, 
another royal house had sprung up in Greater Armenia, the 
Bagratides, tributary to the Caliphs, and had lasted 859-1045. 
This kingdom reached north of the Tigris as far as the Kur 
and from the Araxes to the borders of Second Armenia. 
Towards the sea it found an opponent in the Byzantine 
armies, who landing at Trebizond, would attack Armenia, 
both to weaken the Arab power and to acquire for them- 
selves the prosperous Armenian lands. By continuous war- 
fare Armenia became a battlefield and at last by treachery 
the Byzantines took its wealthy capital Ani. 

The Byzantines, however, held this Armenian territory 
only for a few years, when the Seljuk Turks came from 
Turkestan and drove the Byzantines out. Soon the whole 
of Asia Minor was lost to these invaders, except the rugged 
seacoast of Trebizond, which now had given refuge to the 
Comnenian family, who had established in this Byzantine 
province a so-called "Empire" ; and when the Latins were 
driven out from Constantinople, the Comnenians did not 
return there. 

In the meantime the Turks had reached the Bosporus ; 
Cilicia was independent, while all of remaining Armenia was 
under the invader's heel. Soon, however, Cilicia fell under 
the Mohammedan Emirs of Egypt in 1375. The "Empire" 
of Trebizond lasted about one century longer, where in all 

15 



twenty rulers sat. These emperors were appointed by the 
Byzantine Emperor; but when Constantinople fell, the 
Turks took Trebizond, and killed the Prince's family. The 
youngest son fled to Greece, where in Peloponesus he estab- 
lished the Comnenian Duchy. 

This Empire of Trebizond was not identical in extent 
neither with Chaldia, nor with the Mithridatian Pontus. 
It only comprised the immediate coastland and stretched 
from the mouths of the Iris to east of Trebizond. It was not 
an empire, nor w r as it a glorious state. Yet upon it are 
founded claims that all of Pontus be handed over to the 
Greeks. But history disproves this. 

To begin with the Eastern Empire, we know that it was 
not a Greek Empire. It was only a Roman State, the 
Emperors using the title of Roman Emperor to the very end. 
Even the Turks knew the Byzantines as Romans (Rooms). 
It really was a cosmopolitan Empire, where first Romans, 
later a multitude of nations, gave emperors. And as the Em- 
pire waged most of its war in Armenia, it naturally followed 
that many Armenians entered the Byzantine service. Not 
only generals and statesmen, but even emperors were of 
Armenian stock. Thus, purely Armenian were the follow- 
ing emperors in Byzantium (Constantinople). 

Maurice 582-601 

Philippicus 711-713 

Leo V the Armenian 8 1 3-820 

Basil T 867-886 

Leo VI the Philosopher 886-911 

Alexander 911-912 

Constantine, Porphyrogene 912-959 

(Romanus I, Lecapius ' 919-945) 

Romanus II 959-963 

John I, Zimisces 969-975 

Basil II, Bulgaroktonus 975-1025 

Constantine IX 1025-1028 

Queen Zoe 1041-1052 

Queen Theodora 1054-1056 

Aside from these a larger number of Armenian pretenders to 
the throne are mentioned, while over thirty Armenians are 
known as great generals and statesmen. 

It will be noted that all these Armenians antedate the 
establishment of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in 1080. 

16 



From this date onward, hardly an Armenian appears in 
Byzantine affairs, for the reason that, they now could serve 
their own fatherland instead of a foreign state. This shows 
that they were in the Empire's service, probably for a 
national policy. For they always favored the Armenian 
provinces and opened the avenues of advancement before 
their countrymen. Aside from those mentioned above, Leo 
the Isaurian is supposed to be from an Armenian family, so 
through his dynasty we must add one and a half century 
more (117-867) to the period of the Armenian Emperors. 

All this means that the Armenians played a leading part 
in the Empire. And as the language of the Empire was at 
the end the Greek, these Armenian Emperors and the Em- 
pire itself is spoken of as Greek. The people were, how- 
ver, a motley crowd. Only the last dynasty, the Comnenians 
were probably Greeks, who ruled for about four centuries. 
During those last centuries the Empire declined rapidly, 
until, at the time of Constantinople's capture by the Turks, 
it did not spread much beyond the city itself. Truly, during 
this period, the Empire gave no literary fruits or political 
inspiration to the world. 

Thus we find the Byzantine Empire to be divided into 
three periods : Roman, Armenian and Greek, as far as the 
ruling elements are concerned. During the first two periods, 
Armenia Minor* and Chaldia were a Roman Province, called 
the Armenian Military Department. During the later, Greek 
period, all of this territory was gradually lost to the Em- 
pire, until only the Empire of Trebizond was left. With the 
fall of Constantinople, Greek culture which had spread so 
much under the Empire, gradually died out, and native races 
grew into a new life, such as in Armenia. But the prosperity 
of the Armenians could not be tolerated by the Turks, who 
tried to check their growth by occasional massacres. 

During the Turkish rule in Asia Minor, the Byzantine 
element which was now incorporated into the Greek nation, 
through the agency of the Church of Constantinople, was 
comparatively well treated by the conquerors, while the 
native Armenians were always persecuted. This was an 

^Composed of three provinces : First Armenia, Second Armenia and 
Third Armenia. 

17 



established policy of the ruling* race : to oppress every sub- 
ject race in its native land only, thus preventing them from 
claiming their homeland as an independent state. Equally, 
Greeks were seldom molested in Asia Minor; neither have 
Armenians living under the Turks, but outside of Armenia, 
been oppressed very much. So, in Chaldia and Second 
Armenia, the Greeks were unmolested, and prospered, while 
the growth of the Armenians was incessantly obstructed. 
For even the Turks consider these provinces as parts of 
Armenia.* Yet in spite of all obstructions, the Armenians 
are still a majority in their home land; even after the 
ravages of the last war** (including the two provinces here 
in question). This again proves that "a native element is 
practically ineradicable."*** 

Considering all these facts, no foreign nation to this 
day has claimed these two provinces ; so the Armenians 
have always considered needless to lay stress on the fact of 
their true ownership. And a question of Pontus never ex- 
isted, until some Greeks forced it into the public notice of 

late. 

* * * 

A last consideration, although not the least, is the eco- 
nomic necessity of these two provinces to Armenia. Both 
these provinces are productive in plant and mineral prod- 
ucts. Yet these provinces are not dissimilar in these their 
products to other sections of Asia Minor or the Balkan Pen- 
insula. Here g*row nothing more nor less than what grows 

"Under the terms of the Reform Measure, dated Feb. 8, 1914, agreed 
upon between Germany and Turkey on the one side, and Russia, repre- 
senting the Entente and the Armenians, on the other, acting by direction 
of the Ambassadorial Conference of London of 1913, said Six Provinces 
and the Province of Trebizond, were considered as parts of Armenia." 
. . . Armenian Question before the Peace Conference, p. 9. note. . . . 
One of the Six Provinces is Sivas (Second Armenia), first mentioned in 
such a list of Six, in 1878, by Treaty of Berlin, Article 61. 

**The Memorandum of the Armenian Delegation to the Peace Con- 
ference at Paris gives for 1914, in Turkish Armenia 1,403,000 Armenians 
against 943,000 Turks. E. A. Powell, in the American Review of Re- 
views for April, 1919, page 405, gives an equal proportion for 1914, that 
is "of proximately 1,000,000 Armenians as compared to 600,000 Turks. 

***British Blue Book: Treatment of the Armenians, by J. Bryce, 
1916, Putnam's, page 527. 

18 



in those other sections ; therefore, no foreign state could 
lay claim to these provinces on account of their need for 
such products. For Armenia, however, Second Armenia is 
the province which probably has the largest area of tillable 
grain land, with the exception of the Province of Armenian 
Mesopotamia ; while the mines of gold, silver and iron of 
Chaldia are prime necessities for the industrial progress of 
that nation. So each of these two provinces has a particular 
aptitude for plant or mineral products. Fruit is abundant 
in both provinces, and through Chaldia, many important 
fruits have migrated from Asia to Europe. The pear, the 
apple,* the peach, the apricot and the cherry are proven to 
be indigenous of eastern Armenia or western Persia, on the 
southern shores of the Caspian Sea.** All of these fruits 
are originated in Asia, and have come to Europe through 
northern Persia, whose only outlet to the West is the road 
connecting Teheran, Tabriz, Choi, Bayazid, Erzerum and 
Trebizond. This road has been the main artery of traffic be- 
tween Europe and inner Asia for many centuries. There are 
no other roads that connect the Black Sea harbors to the 
East as directly as this one; it passes through the heart of 
Armenia and is its channel of communication with the out- 
side world. In fact Chaldia is the seaport province for all 
that part of Armenia lying north of the 39th parallel. 

It would surely be an unfortunate day when one nation 
held the door of another country > it would mean the com- 
plete economic dependence of that country upon the holder 
of the door. No country is free and independent, unless it is 
free in an economic sense. With this goes the military con- 
sideration that as in the past the Chaldian seacoast has 
been used as a landing place for military expeditions of the 

*The botanical names of most of these show their original home : 

Peach : Prunus Persica ; amygdalus Persica ; Persica vulgaris. 

Apple : Pyrus mains ; malus communis. 

Pear: Pyrus communis; pyrus sinensis. 

Apricot : Prunus Armeniaca ; Armeniaca vulgaris. 

Cherry : Prunus Cerasus : prunus avium. 

**" After examining the evidence carefully, A. DeCandolle came to the 
conclusion that it (the apple) is most indigenous to the region south of the 
Caucasus, from the Persian province Ghilan on the Caspian to Trebizond 
on the Black Sea.'' It is needless to say that this region is Armenia. 
(Apples of New York, by S. A. Beach ; vol. p. 3) 

19 



Romans and the Byzantines against Armenia and Persia, 
thus causing infinite disturbance in Armenian political life, 
it would be a policy of wisdom to make such an occurrence 
impossible in the future. Armenia must be made a true 
barrier state, reaching- from the Mediterranean to the Black 
Sea, and even to the Caspian, although the Armenian Dele- 
gation in Paris has not demanded this last one. In fact our 
Delegation has asked for only two-thirds of Armenia, be- 
lieving it best to be moderate. 



In a final review, let us point out to the reader the 
following facts : 

I. Geographically, Pontus (whether Second Armenia 
and Chaldia, or Chaldia alone) has never been considered by 
any one as being- anything else but an integral part of 
Armenia. Any map will make this clear. Further, only 
Armenian geography takes in these two provinces as a 
national territory, and no foreign nation has any claims upon 
these provinces, on geographical grounds. 

II. Ethnologically, the basic element is Armenian, being 
a mixture of old Chaldaean, Hittite, Araratian and old 
Armenian races, and is evenly spread from the Caucasus to 
the Mediterranean. No other nation or race has settled 
there permanently, and none claims to be the native there, 
as the Armenians are. With the change of the political for- 
tunes of the land, all foreign races have gradually vanished 
from Armenia. No other nation has fought or suffered for 
Armenia, or dreamed and worked for her as only her native 
children have. So that, Greek, Russian or Turk, are only 
welcome guests, to live with us as long as they desire; but 
surely no guest can claim ownership of a house for having 
resided there for a length of time. 

III. Historically, Chaldia and Second Armenia have had 
occasional local independence, such as all other Armenian 
provinces had under local princes. Further, they have often 
been under foreign yoke ; yet no foreign yoke has been wel- 
come and the natives have always preferred their independ- 
ence. The Pontian Empire was an Armenian State, for 
Mithridates himself was almost an Armenian and Parthian 

20 



by race, as the very name indicates, and as all other names 
of that period indicate. To this day, all those Pontian 
names, as Mithridates, Pharnaces, etc., are commonly used 
among the Armenians. Previous to the Mithridatian Em- 
pire, Chaldia was an Armenian province. Since, it has car- 
ried the yoke of bondage. 

IV. Economically, no other nation could derive as much 
benefit from these provinces as the Armenians can. Should 
they be deprived of them, nothing could take their place; 
while in the hands of a foreign nation, they would lose much 
of their value, on account of their remoteness. For so many 
centuries Armenia has enjoyed the financial benefits of the 
seaports of Chaldia, that it would be like a blockade to de- 
prive her of it. 

Armenians claim this territory not only on the con- 
sideration of the facts above-mentioned, but because theirs 
would be the only sensible and business like ownership of 
these territories. Thus, Armenians openly claim Chaldia 
and Second Armenia. As to the claims of the Greeks, some 
of them demand both provinces, others only one. 

It would be better for the mutual friendship of the two 
nations, that, as Armenians are supporting always the just 
claims of their Greek friends, the Greeks also yield to the 
just claims of Armenia. Thus can these two nations clasp 
hands and by their firm friendship solve the notorious 
Eastern Question, which for at least twenty centuries has 
disturbed the peace of the world. This desire of the Armen- 
ians has already been welcome by all clear-thinking Greeks, 
and we are not far from the day when both these nations 
will reap the benefit of this spirit of mutual equity, of which 
future ages will sing the praise, as being the cornerstone 
upon which true peace and good will among nations may be 
perpetuated. 



21 



,H.2? RY ° F CONGRESS 




010 464 919 1 



The American Committee 

FOR THE 

Independence or Armenia 



JAMES W. GERARD, Chairman 

Charles Stewart Davison, Vice-Chairman 

Wm. Henry Roberts, D.D., LL.D., Secretary-General 



Charles Evans Hughes 
William Jennings Bryan 
Alton B. Parker 
Elihu Root 
Henry Cabot Lodge 
John Sharp Williams 
Charles S. Thomas 
Lyman Abbott 
Gov. Bartlett, N. H. 
James L. Barton 
Gov. Beeckman, R. I. 
Alice Stone Blackwell 
Charles J. Bonaparte 
Gov. Boyle, Nev. 
Nicholas Murray Butler 
Gov. Campbell, Ariz. 
Gov. Carey, Wyo. 
Gov. Catts, Fla. 
• Gov. Cooper, S. C. 
Gov. Cox, Ohio 
Rt. Rev. J. H. Darlington 
Cleveland H. Dodge 
Gov. Dorsey, Ga. 
Charles W. Eliot 
Rt. Rev. William P. Faber 
Admiral Bradley A. Fiske 
Lindley M. Garrison 
James Cardinal Gibbons 
Martin H. Glynn 
Samuel Gompers 
Madison Grant 
Lloyd C. Griscom 
Gov. Harding, Iowa 
Gov. Harrington, Md. 
Albert Bushnell Hart 
Sara Duryea Hazen 



Myron T. Herrick 
John Grier Hibben 
Gov. Holcomb, Conn. 
Hamilton Holt 
George A. Hurd 
Richard M. Hurd 
Henry W. Jessup 
Robert Ellis Jones 
Gov. Larrazolo, N. Mex. 
Gov. Lister, Wash. 
Edward C. Little 
Julian W. Mack 
Norman E. Mack 
William T. Manning 
Elizabeth Marbury 
Rt. Rev. Wm. H. Moreland 
Gov. Norbeck, S. Dak. 
Frederic C. Penfield 
George Haven Putnam 
Rt. Rev. P. N. Rhinelander 
Ernest W. Riggs 
Gov. Robertson, Okla. 
Jacob G. Schurman 
Gov. Smith, N. Y. 
Gov. Sproul, Pa. 
Oscar S. Straus 
Rt. Rev. A. C. Thompson 
Gov. Townsend, Jr., Del. 
Rt. Rev. B. D. Tucker 
Rt. Rev. Wm. W. Webb 
Benjamin Ide Wheeler 
Everett P. Wheeler 
Talcott Williams 
Rt. Rev. J. R. Winchester 
Stephen S. Wise 
Gov. Withycombe, Ore. 



Gov. Yager, Porto Rico. 



Press Bureau, The Armenian National Union of America, 
One Madison Avenue, New York 



